Electric connector



Filed June 11, 1954 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Angelo R. Liaci, Long Branch, N. J.

Application June 11, 1954, Serial No. 436,002

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-99) This invention relates to an electric connector and more particularly to an easily attached improved terminal plug for an electric cord.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved electric cord terminal plug of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter which is particularly easy to use on almost all of the cords for home appliances and the like.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved terminal plug of this kind having cord insulation piercing barbs, into contact with which an electric cord i spring pressed by coiled spring means in the plug.

It is yet a further object of this invention to provide an improved terminal plug of this kind which is light in weight and easy to handle for application to an end of a conventional two wire insulated electric cord.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, in section, of one side of an elec tric terminal plu constructed according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my completely assembled wire terminal plug.

Fig. 3 is an exploded isometric view of the component elements of my plug removed from the cover.

Fig. 4 is an elevation, partly broken away, of my improved plug with one side removed.

At the present time it is customary to use a plurality of electrical appliances in a home and continually more appliances are furnished for the home which require the use nited States PatentO of a terminal plug on the end of an electric two wire cord.

Because of the large number of appliances which are used in a home and the use of an electric cord for each of the separate appliances individually a number of electric cords will be used each having a terminal plug on the end thereof for connection to an outlet socket. According to this invention there is provided an improved electric plug which may be applied to any electric cord at an end by the owner or handler of the electrical appliance. The terminal plug of this invention may be connected to an end of the electric cord at any time by the user without knowledge of electricity or mechanical connectors of this type.

The improved terminal plug of this invention is desig nated generally by the reference numeral 10 having a plastic or rubber cover 11 covering one end of a cord onto which the terminal plug is to be engaged. The cover 11 is provided with an opening 12 on one side thereof for the reception of the electric cord and its cover. If made of a pair of parts it is secured together by bolts or rivets 14 which engage each of the separate parts, the bolts or rivets 14 extending through openings 15 in the sides of the cover for securing the sides together and completing the formation of the cover 11.

Electric contact prongs 16 depend from the cover 11 for electrical contact within an outlet socket. Each of the with, the contact prong 16 which extends exteriorly of.

the plug 10.

Within the terminal plug 10 there is supported a trip 2 plate 19 on one side thereof opposite from the opening 12 within which the cord is to be extended.

There is also provided a longitudinally slidable tube or pressure element 20 within the cover 11 adjacent to the trip plate 19 and the tube 20 is slidable longitudinally of the plug 16.

The tube 20 is formed with a latch opening 21 inter mediate the length thereof which opening extends transversely of the tube 20 and adapted to receive a lug 22, struck from the trip plate 19. The lug 22 when engaged within the latch opening 21 will support the tube 20 adjacent to the upper end of the terminal plug 10 as clearly shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

With the tube 20 latched at this end of the terminal plug the electric cord may be slid into the cord opening 12.

There is provided a paper insulating flexible strip or sheet 24 within the terminal plug having one arm 25 bent at one end of the strip with the other end of the strip upset or bent as indicated by the reference numeral 26 of the drawings for securing into the terminal plug 10.

The insulated two wire cord 27 is extended through the opening 12 into the terminal plug 10 where the Wire in the cord 27 is penetrated by the cord insulation piercing prongs 18 when the tube 20 is moved longitudinally of the terminal plug by the force of the coiled spring 28 which is completely enclosed within the tube 20.

The cord'27, when engaged into the terminal plug 10 will have one end thereof striking the trip plate 19 for moving the lug 22 out of the latch opening 21 so that the full force of the coiled spring 28 may be employed for urging the tube 20 into contact with the paper insulating flexible sheet 24 and this in turn will contact the adjacent surface of the wire cord 27. In this manner the wire cord will be pressed into engagement with the cord piercing barb 18 so that a proper electrical contact is accomplished between the electric contact prongs 16 and the two wire cord 27.

When the cord 27 is pushed into the plug 10 and urged in one direction by the coiled spring 28 the bottom of the tube will hold the entire assembly on an end of the cord 27.

From this position of the terminal plug on the cord this end of the cord may be connected to an outlet socket for use of an electrical appliance. The attachment of the terminal plug to the cord may be easily made by any unskilled person.

While the specific details of one embodiment of this invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope: thereof as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

An electric connector comprising confronting comple mentary body sections, each section being formed with complementary longitudinal recesses constituting a guide, a pair of contact members projecting from one end of said sections, an inwardly directed barb carried by each contact member, the barb of one member being laterally spaced from the barb of the other member, a cylindrical pressure element slidable in said guide and including a spherical inner end, a coil spring in said pressure element hearing at one end against the outer ends of said recesses and bearing at the other end against the inner end of said Patented Apr. 2, 1957,

pressure element to thereby constantly urge the latter inwardly toward said barbs, said element having a keeper slot therein between the ends thereof, a trip plate extending parallel with said element, a locking lug carried by said plate engageable in said keeper slot to hold said element in set inoperative position, and an insulating strip interposed between said element and said barbs, said body sections having complementary channels extending later.- ally through one edge of said sections, said channels form ing a conductor receiving opening whereby a conductor may be extended thereinto for engagement with said trip References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,383,951 Bass Sept. 4, 1945 2,584,476 Liaci Feb. 5, 1952 2,609,415 Benander Sept. 2, 1952 2,688,734 Welling Sept. 7, 1954 

